Shooting Stars
by 21centuryninja
Summary: These midnight mysteries have been around forever. Many use them for wishes, without knowing whether they will actually be granted. However, one rule remains the same regardless: Be careful what you wish for. (Rated T for language, as well as future substance use, violence, and non-explicit adult content.) Greenflame, Glacier, and Jaya shipping.
1. Chapter 1

**Shooting Stars**

 _I'm back!_

 _I wanted to try and write a story that's a little more mature than my usual works. As always, I'm not sure what is going to happen, but I've been wanting to write one like this for a while, and I think this is a pretty good start! :)_

 _This story is rated T for now, but will probably change to M for later chapters. There will be no lemons! I'm not that mature XD_

 _To be safe, I will add warnings for individual chapters if necessary._

 _Ships include: Greenflame (Kai x Lloyd), Glacier (Cole x Zane), and Jaya (Jay x Nya)._

 _DISCLAIMER: I don't own Ninjago. The rights belong to LEGO._

 _Enjoy! :)_

 **Chapter One**

"Guys, come quick! A shooting star!"

Kai, Jay, and Nya sprung up off the couch and darted toward the sound of Lloyd's voice. Cole and Zane weren't far behind. They gathered on the upper deck of the bounty, where the green ninja was staring up at the sky, eyes filled with a childlike glow. He was technically still a kid, after all, even if he was physically sixteen.

"Make a wish," he told his friends.

Jay turned to his dark-haired girlfriend. "You know, it's tradition to kiss under a shooting star," he joked.

Nya hit him playfully. "You wish, Bluebell." Regardless, she leaned up and pressed their lips together.

Kai glared at the blue ninja, feeling a sense of protectiveness for his little sister. However, he knew she was in good hands - Jay would never hurt her, and everyone knew it.

He was jolted out of his thoughts by his young friend's voice.

"Did you make a wish, Kai?" Lloyd asked.

The master of fire laughed slightly. "No, not yet," he replied.

Lloyd tilted his head. "Why not?"

Kai shrugged. "I don't know," he answered. "I guess it's because I have my sister, I have my team, and I'm not sure what else I want."

The blonde's eyes glinted mischievously. "What about a girlfriend?"

"Uh…" Kai began, blushing. "I-I guess." He glanced back to where his sister was leaning on the railing, Jay's arms wrapped around her waist and his chin rested on her black hair. "Yeah, that'd be nice."

Lloyd nodded, looking a bit disappointed. "It would, huh?" He said, his voice a bit softer than before. "N-Not that I've thought much about that kind of stuff…" He trailed off, blushing after looking at the red ninja. It was too dark to notice, though.

"Well, who doesn't want that?" Kai asked absent-mindedly. _I don't_ , he thought. _I don't want a girlfriend. I haven't for years._ He sighed. _But, whatever. It's not like I can tell anyone I'm into guys._

He once again fixed his brown eyes on Nya and Jay. _They look so happy. I wish I could find that kind of happiness. But with the right person. With someone like..._ He glanced at the green ninja, who had returned to gazing up at the clear, starry night sky. _...Lloyd. Someone like Lloyd._ He shook his head quickly. _What am I thinking? He's, like, thirteen!_ He searched through his mind for a new topic. "Hey Zane and Cole! You guys have been pretty quiet. What're you up to?" He blurted out.

The black and white ninjas looked up at Kai, a bit surprised by his outburst.

"Um, we've just been watching the stars," Cole replied, confused.

"Yes," Zane added. "The sky is quite beautiful tonight."

"Really?" Kai inquired. "No kissing or anything?" He laughed awkwardly. "'Course not. Cause it's weird if guys do that, right?"

Lloyd spoke up. "I don't think there's anything wrong with that," he said. His tone was somewhat defensive. "You like who you like and nobody can tell you otherwise."

Kai was taken aback by the kid's words. "You really think that?" He was both surprised and relieved that such a young person would have that opinion, and not just think it was totally weird and gross.

He nodded. "Absolutely."

A thought hit Kai like a ray of sunlight. _Is he...like me?_ He wondered. "Why do you say that?" He asked casually.

"I don't know," Lloyd answered. "It just doesn't seem wrong to me. I don't know for sure what my preference is, but I'm kinda partial to guys, considering I've grown up with them and all. Then again, it's not like I have much to go off of, y'know?"

Kai's jaw dropped. He wasn't the only one. All four others had turned to look at the teenager, more curious than surprised.

"Wait, you're not straight?" Kai asked.

"I don't think so," he replied. "But I don't really know. Why?"

"I'm just surprised, that's all," he replied. "I didn't know someone your age could be so mature."

Lloyd laughed. "Well, I kinda had to grow up fast," he reminded him.

Kai nodded. "That's true." He looked back up at the moonlit sky. _I wish to fall in love_ , he said in his mind. He felt slightly awkward about it, but knew it was what he really wanted.

. . .

Kai rolled over on the hard floor of the deck. _Why did Lloyd have to suggest sleeping up here?_ He wondered, annoyed. He personally hadn't loved the idea, because he hated sleeping on the ground. But something had pushed him to agree, something he couldn't quite explain. It was as if he was being subconsciously drawn to the green ninja, not wanting to leave his side. He tried to fall asleep, but his thoughts were plagued with images of Lloyd, and he couldn't get the kid out of his head. He sighed, opening his eyes and staring at the stars once more. _Do I...like Lloyd?_

The red ninja stretched and stood up. He looked around at his friends, sound asleep on the wooden deck, with blankets scattered about. Jay was holding Nya, and though Kai's usual brotherly protectiveness kicked in, he couldn't help feeling happy for his little sister. He also noticed that Cole and Zane were a little closer than usual. He had never really thought much about it, but for some reason, the idea of the two together seemed almost normal to the fire wielder. The last person his eyes fell on was the first one they normally - instinctively - sought out. Lloyd was lying on his back, on the upper portion of the deck. He was still clearly in sight, but separated from his teammates. Kai quietly crept over until he stood a few inches away from the energy ninja. He could tell he was awake, as his green eyes were open, taking in his peaceful surroundings.

"Hey, buddy," Kai whispered. He sat down on the deck next to Lloyd.

The green ninja looked up at him and smiled. "You couldn't sleep either?"

Kai nodded. "This deck is far too hard for my liking. What about you?"

"It's definitely not the most comfortable," he agreed. "Really, I just didn't want to go to sleep. Everything's so pretty and peaceful, for once." He sighed. "I wish it would stay this way."

"I get what you mean," Kai said. "It's been a rough year. For all of us, but especially for you. And you're still just a kid." He thought for a moment. "It's almost your birthday, isn't it?"

"Yeah," he replied. "In four weeks."

"You'd be...fourteen, right?"

Lloyd shook his head. "Seventeen."

"Come on, Lloyd," Kai reasoned. "What happened with the Tomorrow's Tea doesn't really count."

"This is who I am now," Lloyd argued. "I'm a ninja, that's what matters. In a few weeks I'm gonna have to fight my father." He turned his green gaze back on the brunet. "It's for the best, Kai. Everything I was before the Tea...I have to ignore it. Otherwise, I'll never fulfill my destiny as the green ninja."

Kai looked into Lloyd's eyes. "So you want me to forget that you're really a little kid?"

The master of energy nodded.

The red ninja was silent for a minute, lost in thought. To him, that meant something different. _He's not a kid anymore_ , he thought, trying to convince himself. _That makes everything I want so much less creepy…_ He lifted his brown eyes to where another shooting star was passing overhead. _So much more possible._

 _. . ._

 _Anything is possible!_

 _Please review! :D_


	2. Chapter 2

**Shooting Stars**

 _Thank you all for your reviews, favorites, and follows! I'm so glad you like my story :)_

 _Here's chapter two. Enjoy!_

 _(Warnings: mild language)_

Chapter Two

Kai felt something wet hit his nose. He snapped his eyes open. The sky above had started to grow lighter, but it was still somewhat dark, and obscured by thick, gray clouds. The red ninja sat up and looked around, noticing raindrops falling around him. It looked as though it had been raining for a while, and he was surprised he hadn't woken up earlier. He tilted his head to gaze upward once more, this time noticing the Bounty's flag dangling above his head. Apparently, it had been shielding his face from the rain for some time now.

He shook his head vigorously. "How is it raining?" He wondered out loud. "It was so clear last night."

He glanced back at the lower part of the deck. Jay, Cole, Zane, and Nya were nowhere to be seen. _They must have gone inside when it started to rain_ , he observed. He smiled when he saw Lloyd's sleeping form next to him. Water droplets sparkled on his light skin, and his blonde hair and green pajamas were moderately drenched. Regardless, the kid was sound asleep.

Kai leaned down until he was a few inches away from Lloyd's face. He gently shook his younger teammate, who stirred. The smaller boy smiled softly when his eyes fell on the red ninja.

"Good morning," he said, drowsy.

"Morning, Green Machine," Kai replied. "You're a pretty heavy sleeper. I'm impressed."

Lloyd sat up and shook his wet hair, surprised by how wet himself and the deck were. "How long has it been raining?"

Kai shrugged. "I'm not sure. The others went inside, probably a while ago."

"They didn't wake us up," Lloyd noticed. "How rude."

The red ninja laughed. "Those bitches!"

He slid onto the lower deck and helped his younger friend down. He walked with him over to the door, instinctively holding his hand. Lloyd didn't pull away. The boys reached the entrance to the Bounty, and Kai twisted the handle, but nothing happened.

"They locked us out?" Lloyd said, annoyed.

Kai sighed. "It looks that way."

"Can we find another way in?" The blonde asked. "We are ninja, after all."

"Sensei always locks the doors and windows, remember?"

The green ninja nodded. "That's right." He looked around the deck. "Well, what are we gonna do? We should find shelter. We can't afford to catch colds."

Kai followed his teammate's lead, looking around for something to shield them from the rain. His eyes fell on a tarp. "There!" He exclaimed, and bolted over to the dark green plastic material.

"Kai, you're a genius!" Lloyd said excitedly. He ran over to grab a few pillows and blankets that had been stuffed in the only dry area of the deck - a hollow space under one of the benches that was unfortunately too small to provide shelter for any of the ninja. He then walked back to stand next to the wall, trying to keep the fabric dry.

The fire wielder returned to his friend's side, holding the tarp. He sat down on one of the pillows. Lloyd did the same, and Kai pulled the tarp over the two of them.

"This is so cool!" Lloyd breathed.

"It is," Kai agreed. "For once, I don't actually mind being trapped outside in the rain."

The sound of thunder echoed in the sky, causing Lloyd to jump and move closer to Kai. The red ninja put his arm around his friend comfortingly.

"It's okay," he reassured him. "Are you scared of storms?"

Lloyd nodded, frightened. He blushed slightly. "Don't tell the others."

"Your secret's safe with me." Kai drew Lloyd closer, until the smaller boy was practically sitting on his lap. "Don't worry, Big Shot. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise."

Lloyd smiled at his brown-haired friend. He didn't seem to notice their closeness, and if he did, he clearly didn't mind. He rested his head on Kai's shoulder and stayed silent, listening to the rain falling on and around the tarp.

The thunder continued to crash in the distance. The green ninja jumped in surprise every few minutes, but calmed down immediately with help from Kai. Eventually, the kid got tired and drifted off to sleep, leaning against the warm master of fire.

. . .

"Ha!" Jay exclaimed, pulling the tarp off of Kai and Lloyd. "I told you they were still up here!"

Nya, Cole, and Zane stood behind the blue ninja, gazing curiously at their drowsy teammates.

Kai glared at the four of them. "How could you assholes lock us out?" He groaned.

Cole smirked. "I think the bigger question is, when did this happen?" He gestured toward the extremely close red and green ninja.

"This isn't what it looks like!" Kai snapped in defense. He glanced down at the blonde boy, who was just beginning to wake up after sleeping for a good three hours.

"Oh, I think it's exactly what it looks like," Jay teased.

Zane nodded, cutting in. "Yes, it appears Kai has had a good idea, for once," he joked, in an attempt to stop Jay and Cole from embarrassing his friends anymore. "Using the tarp was very smart, Kai," he added to the red ninja, who smiled gratefully.

Lloyd gazed up at his fellow ninja with tired green eyes. He was quite aware of the position he was in: his left leg on a pillow and his right on top of Kai's lap, arms wrapped tightly around his neck, and face only inches away from the fire elemental's. He blushed a visible shade of pink, but didn't let go - both because he was too tired and just didn't want to. Kai seemed a bit embarrassed as well, but showed no sign of wanting the green ninja to let go. He turned his head to look into Lloyd's soft eyes, smiling ever so slightly at the sight of the boy's face so close to his own. He wanted to close the distance between their lips, but held back - for the moment, at least.

"So, uh," Nya spoke up, "there have been a few Serpentine sightings around Ninjago city, so Sensei said he wants us to train all day."

"You're not a ninja, though," Kai pointed out absent-mindedly.

Nya crossed her arms. "I can still kick your ass."

"Fair enough," Kai muttered. He stood up and helped Lloyd to his feet.

The other four headed over to set up the training equipment. Lloyd smiled at Kai, who happily returned the gesture. He threw his arm around the little ninja's shoulders, and together, they went to join their team.

. . .

 _Aww I ship it so hard!_

 _I was watching Ninjago yesterday and I noticed how much Greenflame there is - particularly in the last two episodes of season 2. Seriously, it really is canon! :)_

 _And Nya's last line in this chapter was fantastic XD_

 _Please review!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Shooting Stars**

 _So, well, it's November! How crazy is that?_

 _Enjoy a Christmas chapter, 'cause Christmas time is_ _next month!_

 **Chapter Three**

"And...that's the last one," Lloyd said. He climbed down the ladder and backed away, looking up in approval at his decorating skills. He turned to his friends. "What do you think?"

Kai stared at the fully decorated Christmas tree. "Wow, Lloyd," he breathed. "You really are great at decorating!"

"Thanks!" The blonde replied. "I've always loved decorating, and Christmas is my favorite holiday."

Zane nodded. "I can tell."

"The tree looks amazing," Cole added.

"Okay, what's next?" Jay asked the green ninja.

Lloyd pulled a list out of his pocket. "Uh...Cole, can you move all the boxes of decorations up here?"

"Sure. I'll go get them." He turned and walked down the stairs to where the decorations were stored.

"Cool," Lloyd said. "And Zane, you're the ice ninja. Can you put up all of the fake snowflakes? We have a lot of them." He smiled. "You can even make some real ones if you'd like."

"Of course," the taller blonde replied.

"Jay, Kai, and Nya," he continued, "you're going to put up all the rest of the decorations, if that's okay?"

Kai jumped to his feet. "Sure is!" He pulled the other two into a huddle, where they discussed the layout of all the Christmas decorations for that year.

Lloyd folded up the list and put it back in the pocket of his jeans. "And I'll handle the lights," he said quietly to himself.

Cole returned with more of the decorations and asked Nya, Jay, and Zane to help him sort through the rest downstairs, while Kai and Lloyd handled the ones already on the deck. When they agreed, the four went down to the storage area while Kai started searching through the contents of the nearest box. Lloyd pulled a string of lights out of one of the boxes. He dragged the ladder over to the highest point on the Bounty's deck, then started climbing up with the lights wrapped around his shoulders.

Kai glanced up from the box he was going through, immediately noticing Lloyd standing on the top rung of the ladder. "Lloyd!" He exclaimed. "Get down from there! That's dangerous."

The energy ninja didn't move. "I want to put up the lights," he argued. He began stringing them along the ridge, using tape to hold them down.

"Lloyd, please come down," Kai pleaded. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"It's okay," he countered. "I'm a ninja. I'll be fine."

Kai sighed. He knew it was somewhat pointless to argue with the stubborn teen. At the same time, he couldn't bear the thought of the kid falling and possibly breaking something. He shook his head and continued to watch Lloyd like a hawk.

It wasn't long before the green ninja could no longer reach along the edge without tumbling off his perch. _I should probably get down to move the ladder,_ he thought. _Maybe I can just get one more section…_

As he pulled the strand of lights further over the ridge, the ladder started to slip out from underneath him. He lost his balance and fell off, as the ladder crashed down next to him.

Lloyd was expecting to hit the hard ground below. He closed his eyes and braced for the impact. However, his landing was much softer than he had expected. The blonde opened his eyes to see that the red ninja had caught him.

"Thanks, Kai," he breathed, relieved.

Kai held the smaller boy tightly, refusing to let go. "Are you okay?" He asked, concerned.

Lloyd nodded. "Yeah, thanks to you."

Kai carefully set him down. "Promise me you won't ever do that again, okay?" He begged. "Promise you'll be more careful."

Lloyd pulled Kai into a hug, still trembling a little. "I promise," he whispered.

The four others ran up onto the deck, each carrying a box of decorations.

"Everything alright up here?" Cole asked.

"We heard a crash," the blue ninja added.

Kai and Lloyd turned to face their friends.

"Yeah," Kai answered. "Everything's fine."

Lloyd gave them a reassuring smile. After that, they all returned to their decorating.

After about an hour, the upper deck of the Bounty was practically covered with decorations. It seemed as though Lloyd had an endless supply of the stuff. Regardless, it looked amazing.

"Wow!" The energy ninja breathed. "This is so cool!"

"Quite literally," Zane agreed. "Seriously, it's forty-five degrees out here."

Cole raised an eyebrow. "I thought nindroids didn't get cold. Especially the master of ice."

"That's true," he replied. "But I'm more concerned about the five of you."

"That makes more sense," Jay remarked. "It is really chilly."

"And that, my friends," Zane said, "is why I made us all hot chocolate!" He pulled a tray with six mugs out of a corner and handed one to each of his teammates.

"Aww, thanks, Zane!"

"You're the best!"

"This is so good!"

"What would we do without you?"

"I love you, man!"

Zane smiled. "I'm glad you like it." He glanced upward, and a green and red cluster of leaves caught his eye. He looked from the decoration to the two ninja standing below it.

"What is it, Zane?" Cole asked.

He followed the white ninja's gaze, noticing the mistletoe as well as its two 'victims'. "Well, would you look at that," he said.

Everyone else looked up at his words. Kai and Lloyd blushed furiously.

"That wasn't there before," Kai muttered.

Nya giggled, earning her a glare from her older brother. "Rules are rules, Kai," she told him.

Kai turned back to Lloyd. The latter was clearly embarrassed, but he didn't look away.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" The others chanted.

Kai shook his head. "Aww, what the heck?"

He ran one hand through Lloyd's blonde hair and brought the other to the boy's waist. He leaned down and kissed the green ninja. Lloyd, pleasantly surprised and unsure of what to do, wrapped his arms around Kai's neck and pulled him closer. After a few seconds, they pulled away. The red and green ninja stared into each other's eyes, neither wanting to look away.

. . .

 _I hope you all enjoyed that. There's lots more where that came from ;)_

 _I wanted to ask this earlier, but I forgot...what were you for Halloween? I was Lloyd, and it was awesome!_

 _Please review!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Shooting Stars**

 **Chapter Four**

Lloyd leaned on the railing of the Bounty, watching the stars like he had weeks before. He smiled, eyes sparkling like the Christmas lights around him. _I can't believe that just happened!_ He thought excitedly. _My wish came true!_ He still found that afternoon's surprise hard to comprehend...Kai had kissed him! Like, _really_ kissed him. In that moment, Lloyd couldn't have been happier.

He jumped as he felt hands wrap around his waist, and spun to face the sneaky red ninja. "Hey there," he greeted happily.

"What's up, Greenie?" Kai said. "Watching the sky for more shooting stars?"

"Well, they really do their job," the blonde replied. Without hesitation, he leaned up and kissed the master of fire. Since the others weren't around, they waited longer before breaking the kiss.

Kai was genuinely surprised at the younger ninja's kissing skills. He knew he had been Lloyd's first kiss, which shocked him even more. _Lloyd's probably a better kisser than I am,_ he thought. _He really is the master of everything…_

After what seemed like hours, the two pulled apart.

"It's really more fun when we don't have an audience," Lloyd pointed out.

Kai nodded. "Definitely. Though, it wasn't half bad the first time."

"It's a first time I'll never forget," the smaller added.

Lloyd turned back around so he could have another look at the starry sky, as well as the faintly lit cities and buildings below. It was all so peaceful. Once again, his mind became plagued with worries about the upcoming battle. He unintentionally let out a quiet whimper.

Immediately, Kai tightened his grip on his friend's waist. "You okay?" He asked, concerned.

"I...I guess," Lloyd replied. "I'm just thinking about facing my father, that's all." He looked up at the taller ninja.

"Try not to worry about it, okay?" Kai said in an attempt to comfort his green-eyed teammate. He gently kissed him on the forehead. "I won't let anything happen to you."

. . .

Cole rolled over in his bed. He couldn't stop thinking about what had happened between his friends earlier. The black ninja sighed audibly.

"Is everything alright, brother?"

He leaned over the side of his bunk to see Zane looking up at him.

"Yeah, I'm good," Cole replied.

Zane wasn't convinced. He stood up and pulled himself onto Cole's bed.

The black-haired boy watched him. "You don't have to…"

"I know," the white ninja said. "I want to." He shifted so he was sitting in a comfortable position. "Now, what's on your mind?"

"I don't know," he answered. "I'm surprised by the whole Kai and Lloyd thing. A bit jealous, as I'm single as the moon. But at the same time...I'm relieved."

Zane tilted his head, ice-blue eyes filled with curiosity. "Why are you relieved?" He asked.

Cole shrugged. "Well, I suppose it's because this proves the kind of team we really are. We're the ones who love and accept each other, no matter what. Even if we're different."

"You are correct there," Zane told him. "I'm a nindroid, and you all treat me just like I'm one of you."

"You _are_ one of us, Pinky!" Cole said. He hugged his blonde friend tightly. "Nindroid or not."

Zane smiled. "Thank you."

"Well, it's true!"

Zane thought for a minute. "You said that you're disappointed, because you're 'single as the moon', right?"

"Yeah, I said that. Why?"

The ice ninja stared into Cole's dark brown eyes. "Even the moon has its stars."

Cole nodded. "That's right," he said. "I'm not alone, and I never was. But that doesn't change the fact that I don't have anyone…like Kai and Lloyd, or Jay and Nya."

"If you're referring to a romantic interest, you're not alone," Zane reminded him. "I have no one like that, either."

An idea popped into Cole's head like a lightbulb. "Hey, Zane?"

"Yes?"

"This is kinda crazy," Cole began, "but do you...maybe...want to…"

He started blushing, and though it was dark, the nindroid could tell.

"If you're asking me out," he said, "then, of course."

Cole's eyes widened. "R-Really?"

"Yes, really," Zane replied. He pulled the smiling earth ninja into a hug. "I will be your star, Cole."

. . .

"Aww, not again!" Jay grumbled.

Nya jumped up, raising her video game controller in victory. "Yes!" She exclaimed. "I am undefeated!"

The blue ninja nodded. "Yep, you are."

She sat back down on the couch. "Man, I should've been playing video games all these months! I sure had a bunch of free time on my hands waiting for you boys to come back from your missions."

"We were really stupid not to have you come with us," Jay said. "You're probably stronger than all of us combined! When we didn't have our powers, that is."

"I had a lot of time to practice," she pointed out.

Jay laughed. "You're too humble!"

"I'm many things, Jay, but humble is not one of them."

"See?" Jay protested. "That's humility right there."

Nya raised an eyebrow. "I'm better at video games than all of you dudes."

"Okay," the master of lightning conceded. "Maybe you're not so humble."

The Samurai laughed softly and leaned against her blue-clad boyfriend. Jay ran a hand through her soft black hair.

"How do you feel about...you know...your brother being…" Jay searched for the right words.

"If you say 'gay', Jay, I swear…"

The redhead raised his hands in defense. "Wasn't gonna! But you know where I was going."

Nya shrugged. "I'm honestly not surprised. Really, I don't mind at all. I'm just happy for him." She met Jay's blue eyes with her light brown ones. "What about you?"

"Same," he replied. "I don't see anything wrong with it. I've always thought Kai and Lloyd would make a great couple."

"Truth is, I knew they'd end up together, ever since Kai unlocked his true potential while saving Lloyd," Nya explained. "I just didn't know when."

"I had a feeling, too."

"But that's none of our business." Nya said. She quickly kissed Jay on the lips. "Besides, I've got you."

. . .

 _Hope you enjoyed that cheesy chapter. Please review! :)_

 _I changed Lloyd's age to (almost) fourteen, 'cause I thought that was better._

 _Till next time! :)_


	5. Chapter 5

**Shooting Stars**

 _Finally a new chapter! I know it's been forever. I'm sorry! DX_

 _Hopefully I can update sooner. My goal is maybe one chapter for this story every other week and the same for Second Wind, so I'd be updating weekly. Maybe I can even get some inspiration from cheesy Christmas movies XD_

 _Enjoy!_

 **Chapter Five**

Cole slowly blinked his chocolate brown eyes open. The faint, gray light from outside was filtering meekly into the room from behind the curtains, and he could tell it was going to be another cloudy day. He glanced further down his bed, noticing the white ninja fast asleep. He smiled, remembering how they had spent hours talking quietly the night before. The ninja of earth sat up - careful not to disturb the sleeping Zane - and looked around the room.

Kai was laying on his bunk, remaining mostly still. He had buried his head under his pillow, and his red comforter had been pushed to the side. No surprise; he was the master of fire, after all. On the bottom bunk, Lloyd was practically submerged in green blankets. The green ninja wasn't able to control his fire element enough to keep himself warm, and the cold, December air filled the poorly-insulated room. Cole also noticed that his youngest teammate was wearing a thick, red sweatshirt - Kai's thick, red sweatshirt.

Finally, Cole's eyes fell on the third set of bunk-beds. Nya, who had offered to share a room with the boys while the Bounty was undergoing renovations, was reading a book on the top bunk, while Jay was fast asleep on the bottom.

The earth ninja stared blankly at the mostly-concealed window. His thoughts were filled with flashbacks of the previous night's conversation. His brown eyes widened when he remembered that he had his first boyfriend. He shook his head quickly. _What if that was just a dream?_

He was snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of a voice speaking to him.

"You're up early."

Cole turned his head to see Nya looking at him. "What time is it?" He asked.

The Samurai glanced at her phone. "Five thirty," she told him.

"Wow," the black ninja said, surprised. "I guess I am up early."

Nya's curious eyes drifted to the sleeping master of ice. She smirked slightly. "When did _this_ happen?" She teased, quoting Cole's words from when they had found Kai and Lloyd together days before.

Cole followed her gaze and went beet red. "W-what do you mean?" He asked defensively.

She tilted her head. "Come on, Cole," she said. "You know exactly what I mean."

Cole sighed in defeat. "Fine," he conceded. "Last night."

Nya's mischievous smile grew. "So, what went down between you two?"

"Nothing!" Cole exclaimed. "Well, nothing much. We just talked, that's all."

"About what?"

"That's none of your business!" He snapped playfully at the young Samurai, who laughed in response. He smiled at her, then went silent in thought. After a few moments, he spoke again. "So, what kinds of things do you and Jay do?" He asked hesitantly.

" _That's_ none of _your_ business!" She replied. "Besides, if I were you, I'd ask Kai or Lloyd. They'd probably be a little more helpful in your situation."

"Hey!"

She laughed again. "Seriously! But if you're talking about dating, it's pretty simple. Just do stuff together! Romantic stuff. Or whatever you guys want, just as long as you're together, because that's the most important thing."

Cole nodded. "Thanks, Nya."

"No problem," she said. "You and Zane want to be together for two reasons. Firstly, it's because you need to figure out whether the two of you could have a future together. And second, you boys are in love! Why wouldn't you want to be together?"

"I'm not sure we're in love," the black ninja argued, blushing. "But I see your point."

"Of course you do!"

The master of earth came up with another question. "So, what should I do if I want to be, well, romantic?"

"Oh, there's a lot of things you can do!" Nya answered. "Just try and make them personal and special. What kinds of things does Zane like?"

"Uh, he likes to cook," Cole offered.

"Perfect!" She said. "Then ask him to teach you how to cook something. Maybe bake a cake together. It'll make him feel important, and it's a great way to spend some time together."

Cole's eyes lit up. "Wow! That's a great idea! Thank you!"

The dark-haired Samurai shrugged proudly. "I give great advice, I know." She laughed. "I'm glad I could help. You're really great, you know? Zane's a lucky guy."

Cole was taken aback by her kind words. "Thanks, Nya."

"Well, it's true! I think it's sweet that you care so much," she told him. "Like I said, I'm glad to help. But if you need someone to help you practice kissing, you're out of luck!"

. . .

Cole moved out of the way quickly as a bag of flour fell to the floor. Some of the white powder escaped out the top of the bag and clung onto the black ninja's pants.

"Oops," he said, both annoyed and amused.

Zane peeked inside the pantry. "Are you okay, Cole?" He asked.

"Yep," the black ninja replied. "I'm fine." He picked up the bag and set it on the counter. "Do we have everything we need?"

Zane nodded. "Yes, this is it." He picked up a measuring cup and a bag of sugar. "Want to measure the sugar?"

"Sure!" Cole replied. He held the bag in one hand and the measuring cup in the other. "How much do we need?"

"One-half cup," he told him. "Just fill it up."

Cole tipped the bag of sugar and watched some of its contents fall into the measuring cup. The sugar filled the cup and spilled over the top, getting all over the floor. "My bad!" He exclaimed, setting the sugar back down on the counter.

Zane let out a soft laugh.

"Hey!" Cole groaned.

The white ninja grabbed a broom and began sweeping up the sugar. "Okay, next time, try pouring it over the sink."

"Will do!" He agreed. "Can I pour it in the bowl now?"

"Yes, you can," Zane answered.

He dumped the sugar into the trash before helping his friend add the rest of the ingredients. He let Cole mix them together, which the earth ninja happily agreed to. After they poured the batter into a pan, they put it in the oven and played cards while they waited.

"Do you have any eights?" Cole asked.

"Go fish."

He sighed and reached for a card. "Nope. Your turn."

"Hmm…" the white ninja studied his cards. "Do you have any jacks?"

Cole laughed and handed him a card. "How are you so good at this game?"

Zane shrugged. "I guess I just find it easy to remember things."

"Oh, what am I thinking?" Cole groaned. "I'm playing cards with a nindroid! There's no way I can win!"

"Want to be done then?" Zane asked. "The cake will be ready soon."

"Yeah," he replied. "You're going to win anyway."

The two picked up the cards and went to wait in the kitchen. Zane was right - the cake was almost done.

Cole looked at his white-clad teammate, who was standing next to him. "Hey, Zane?"

"Yes, Cole?"

"Thank you for helping me," Cole said.

Zane smiled. "Anytime."

Cole stared into Zane's blue eyes. He felt a connection there, something he had never experienced anywhere, with anyone else. Without thinking, he started leaning in.

Zane saw what he was doing and, though surprised, leaned in as well. _Is this really happening?_

Right when they were about to kiss, the timer on the oven went off.

"Oh!" Zane exclaimed. He smiled up at Cole. "We'll have to come back to this later."

Cole watched him dart toward the oven and take out the cake. _Yeah,_ he thought happily. _We will have to._

. . .

 _Apparently several of you like Glaciershipping, so I hope that made y'all happy :D_

 _Please review! :)_


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